Puzzle or game.



A. M. PARTRIDGB.

PUZZLE 0R GAME.

APPLIOATIO-N PPPPPPP v. s 1111 2.

1,06OA88. Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

WITNESSES: Av VENTOR,

ATTORNEY rnarr sa'r TATEN FF.

PUZZLE OR GAME.

roeoass.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. PAR: 'rnroen, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Springfield, 1n the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles or Games, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a puzzle or game device, to which the name Four little chickens puzzle has been given, the same comprising a receptacle, preferably a rectangular box having a runway for rolling objects such as marbles, and a plurality of walled inclosures in separated relations, all opening at one end to the runway, and all except the last one of the series havlng entrance and exit openings, such last one of the series having an entrance opening only, the device being susceptible of such handling or management that it is possible to cause all of the marbles (chickens) after having been initially placed in the runway, to move through all of the walled inclosures (or coops) to be finally all together brought into the last walled inclosure (or roost).

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and is set forth in the claims,

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game or puzzle device; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same; Fig. 3 is a. perspective view showing the mode of making one of the walled inclosures. Fig. 4; is a plan view.

In the drawings, A represents a receptacle comprising surrounding upstanding walls Z) and a base d which may be composed of wood having considerable thickness; said base along one side thereof has a longitudinally extending runway or channel f, the end portions 7, f of.which are inclined to the plane of the upper surface of the base so as to gradually merge thereinto. The said base is made with a series of transverse parallel kerfs g g.

B B represent a plurality of walled inclosures, each consisting of sheet material such as cardboard, bent to inverted V or U form, and having their lower edge portions engaged in pairs of said kerfs. Said inclosures are each at their one end closed by the rear side wall of the receptacle, and they all open, each at its other end adjacent the runway,the lengths of the roof-like in- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Serial No. 729,768.

closures being, as shown, somewhat less than the width of the box.

All of the inclosures (or coops) have entrance openings h at their one side, and certain thereof, that is all but the one which is at one end of the device, have exit openings j at the other side; but these openings are preferably in staggered relations as shown.

The rolling objects m (to represent chickens) which may be 4. in number, will be usually constituted by marbles.

The box A is to have a cover which, when the game or puzzle is to be played or worked, is telescoped onto the bottom of the box, reinforcing or imparting rigidity thereto.

After the marbles are placed in the runway, they are not to be touched or jumped; but the device is to be so tipped that they will roll successively through each coop and yard or space between the coops until all are together in the last coop or inclosure which has the entrance opening only, which may be imagined as the roost.

Inasmuch as the inverted V or U-shaped inclosure forming members of cardboard are detachably engaged in the kerfs 9, they may be rearranged to form various varieties or combinations for solution, some easy and some diflicult.

This device is one of such simplicity of construct-ion and composed of such inexpensive material that it may be produced and placed on the market at an extremely low prlce.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, a receptacle comprising surrounding upstanding walls and a base having along one side thereof a depressed run way and having a plurality of internally located walled inclosures in separated relations, all opening at one end to said runway, the end ones being separated from the end walls of the receptacle and all excepting the last one of the series having entrance and exit openings in staggered relations at opposite sides thereof, the last one of the series having an entrance opening.

2. In a device of the character described, a receptacle comprising surrounding upstanding walls and a base having along one side thereof a depressed run way and having a plurality of internally located walled inclosures in'separated relations, all opening at one end to said runway, the end ones being separated from the end walls of the receptacle and all excepting the last one of the series having entrance and exit openings at staggered locations in opposite sides thereof, the last one of the series having an entrance opening.

3. In a device of the character described, a receptacle comprising surrounding up standing walls and a base having along one side thereof a runway channel, the end portions of Which are inclined to the plane of the upper surface of the base, and said base having a series of transverse parallel kerfs, a plurality of walled inclosures each consisting of sheet material bent to inverted V or U-forrn, having their lower edge portions engaged in pairs of said kerfs, and said inclosures being closed by one side wall of the receptacle and opening at the other side to said runway and all having entrance openings at one side thereof, and certain thereof having exit openings at their sides opposite the entrance openings and in staggered relation thereto.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR M. PARTRIDGE. Witnesses:

VVM. S. BELLOWS, G. R. DRISGOLL.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

